Downtown Joliet's Empty Barrett's Hardware Now A Sad State Of Affairs: Here's Why

JOLIET, IL — One of downtown Joliet's greatest redevelopment failures in modern times is the empty Barrett's Hardware building on North Ottawa Street, one block north of the Will County Courthouse. This month, giant metal barriers were put in front of Barrett's, prohibiting pedestrians from walking along the sidewalk.

More than five years ago, the Barrett's Hardware store property was heralded as Springhill Suites by Marriott, an "82 spacious all suites hotel."

The Springhill Suites redevelopment project never got off the ground and now the Barrett's property has turned into one of Joliet's long-standing eyesores. Just look at the number of boarded-up windows of the four-story building for yourself.

The Barrett's failure happened under the administration of former Mayor Bob O'Dekirk and prior city managers Steve Jones, Jim Hock and Jim Capparelli. New Mayor Terry D'Arcy and second-year city manager Beth Beatty have not made any significant changes to the Barrett's property, either.

Six long years ago, in January 2019, Joliet Patch reported that Mike Patel, owner of four Joliet hotel properties, had purchased the empty Barrett's Hardware store building in late 2018.

Patel said he envisioned converting the Barrett's building into an 80-unit or 90-unit hotel. He told Patch he would probably add two more stories to the existing four-story building. The entrance to the hotel would probably face toward the Harrah's Casino.

Later that same year, 2019, Patch reported that Patel's Springhill Suites By Marriott would be converting the four-story brick building into an 82-suite hotel that was set to open in less than one year.

In February, 2020, the Joliet City Council approved the Marriott's redevelopment project. The project's estimated cost was more than $18.6 million. About $17.5 million was considered Tax Increment Finance eligible.

Joliet Patch reported that the Barrett's redevelopment would consist of:

• 2 additional floors to the building to make it a six-story hotel.
• 82 hotel suites
• valet parking
• fitness center
• outdoor patio
• 1,500-square-foot conference room meeting space
• Starbucks Coffee kiosk
• guest laundry
• A first-floor dining outlet in honor of the Barrett's Hardware Store

"The developer plans to use approximately 85.3 percent prevailing wage for all labor used for the project," the City Hall memo informed the Joliet City Council.

According to city officials, 75 percent of the labor building the Marriott hotel must be paid out at prevailing wages. "If the developer does not achieve the 75-percent prevailing wage requirement, the developer will not be eligible for any incentives for the project," city documents showed.

Joliet's economic development director at the time, Derek Conley, said the Marriott hotel was expected to be completed in March 2021. A City Hall memo made it clear that tax incentives were needed for Patel to redevelop the city's empty Barrett's Hardware store.

"This is a building that is over 100 years old, and it's been vacant over 20 years," Conley told Joliet Patch.

By September 2020, there were black clouds and turbulent storms on the horizon with Barrett's. By that time, Patch reported that Mike Patel's plans to convert downtown Joliet's vacant Barrett's Hardware into a high-end Marriott's Springhill Suites had not panned out.

Not only had construction failed to start, but the Barrett's property became a symbol of danger, Joliet's City Council was told.

Joliet attorney Dan Kallan, owner of the adjacent building at 71 N. Ottawa St., urged the city to take action on Patel's property. There was a huge hole in the foundation on the backside of the Barrett's building. In addition to the large hole, there was a huge rock pile that anybody walking downtown can access. Patel had erected a chain-link fence around the back perimeter of his property, but the fence was taken down.

Kallan, the neighboring building owner, told the council that Patel told him about a month ago that the Barrett's hotel redevelopment project was still proceeding.

"I have about a C minus confidence in that statement," Kallan told the council — five years ago.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

$18M Marriott Hotel Gets Unanimous City Council Vote

Dangerous Joliet Rock Pile Gets City's Attention

Downtown History: Barrett's Hardware